Earlier today, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Darren Carabott, received confirmation from the Auditor General that the request for an investigation into allegations of abuse in the issuing of residence permits and identity cards to foreign nationals has been accepted, the Nationalist Party said Tuesday.

This means that the National Audit Office (NAO) has now officially opened an investigation into this scandal involving the Identità agency, Jobsplus, and the Ministry for Home Affairs and Security, the PN said.

The letter outlining the terms of reference issued by the Auditor's office follows the initiative taken by the three Opposition Members of the Public Accounts Committee in Parliament back in August 2024. At that time, the Partit Nazzjonalista was represented on the PAC by Committee Chair Darren Carabott, together with MPs Graham Bencini and Claudette Buttigieg.

The PN Members' request came after numerous individuals lodged complaints and made serious allegations of fraud and mismanagement within the Identità agency. Many reported having received mail addressed to their home or property, but in the name of a person who had never lived there.

This follows other serious claims that foreign nationals used Maltese public resources - such as hospital appointments - and benefitted from social benefits, despite having false personal information on their identity or residence documentation.

The National Audit Office will be investigating:

Whether studies were carried out to determine the national benefits resulting from the issuance of work and residence permits;

Whether the agencies and the Government Ministry acted fairly, with due diligence, in line with the principles of good governance, coherently and in accordance with established procedures when processing residence permit applications for non-Maltese nationals;

Whether any information about this situation was concealed or misrepresented;

Whether any misuse of public resources - such as healthcare and social security - occurred due to shortcomings in the processing of work and residence permit applications.

The PN welcomes the Auditor General's decision to investigate this process and eagerly awaits the full truth to emerge in this scandal involving the fraudulent issuing of identity cards and residence permits. This saga first came to light several years ago when it was revealed that thousands of fake identity cards had been issued to foreign nationals.